Method and apparatus for organizing and playing data

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a general solution to presenting media interface and navigation tools for content provided from a plurality of sources. The invention maintains a user at a single site regardless of the source of the media content. This permits a consistent interface to be presented to the user. Because the user remains at the same site, differences in tiered membership may be tracked so that the user is only presented with content that the user is permitted to view. The invention uses a metadata language to characterize content so that viewer type, membership level, and other information can be maintained and used for an enjoyable viewing experience.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority from co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/459,341, filed Jun. 11, 2003, entitled METHODAND APPARATUS FOR ORGANIZING AND PLAYING DATA.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of organizing and playingdata.

Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material thatare subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice file or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever.

2. Background Art

The personal computer has become a resource for entertainment as well astraditional data processing functionality. In many cases, the personalcomputer has replaced home stereo systems as a source of audioentertainment. Many users have replaced hard copies of books andmagazines with e-copies of reading materials for review via a computer.Another popular use for personal computers is the presentation of medialinformation and entertainment.

Often, the providing of media entertainment, such as audio or videoentertainment, occurs via a network, such as the internet. Certain websites are known for the availability of video clips of movies andtelevision programs, or audio program files, that a computer user canview, listen to, and possibly purchase. In some cases, television orradio networks provide web sites devoted to their own shows or to asingle show. Many times a web site is designed to provide an “enhanced”experience in real time during the broadcast of a television program.Such enhanced features may include comprehensive statistics in the caseof sporting events, commercial tie-in and purchase opportunities in thecase of entertainment programs, play-along quizzes, or even competitionduring game shows.

In some cases, additional media content is made available to internetusers between broadcasts of programs to promote interest, loyalty, andviewing opportunities, when a program is not otherwise airing. There area number of disadvantages with many of the current systems for obtainingsuch content via the internet as will be described below.

A number of web sites purport to provide a central location where avariety of media can be obtained and experienced by a user on a personalcomputer via a network. A disadvantage with many of these sites is afailure to provide a consistent interface for content from differentsources. Another disadvantage is the failure to provide to the user onlycontent that is actually playable by the user. Often the user isprompted to mistakenly buy player capability that the user doesn't wantor need.

Certain web sites purport to provide a portal or central location foraccessing media data and content from a variety of sources, includingfrom different networks and internet media sources. A problem for a useron such a site is the inconsistency of the presented interface fordifferent content. In a typical situation, a user may elect to view acontent clip from a program from one of the broadcast networks. When theclip is selected, the user may actually be transferred to the network'sown web site for viewing of the clip.

When the user is transferred, the entire interface for viewing clips isoften changed to the interface supported by the source site. Thisdiminishes the viewing experience for the user and requires the user topay extra attention to where navigation and activation controls arelocated in order to effectively use the site for viewing of content.

Another problem occurs when a user is part of a tiered membership orsubscription service on a portal site. Lower tiers of membership mayhave restrictions on which content is available. When the portalswitches the user to the content source site, the user may be presentedwith all possible content even though the user is able to view only asubset of the listed content. This diminishes the user's experiencebecause the user is made aware of a limited experience.

Finally, the user may be referred to data that is not playable on theuser's currently installed content player. The user may be presentedwith a list of available content that does not indicate which player isused or required to play the content. When a user selects a clip orcontent that requires a player that the user does not currently have,the user may be directed to a site where a new player can be obtained.Often these sites are confusing. A free player is often available butthe user is urged to purchase a “professional” or “full featured”version of a player not really needed for the clip which the user wantsto play. Often the user mistakenly purchases the “for purchase” playerinstead of simply accepting the free player.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a general solution to presenting mediainterface and navigation tools for content provided from a plurality ofsources. The invention maintains a user at a single site regardless ofthe source of the media content. This permits a consistent interface tobe presented to the user. Because the user remains at the same site,differences in tiered membership may be tracked so that the user is onlypresented with content that the user is permitted to play. The inventionuses a metadata language to characterize content so that player type,membership level, and other information can be maintained and used foran enjoyable experience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a website of one embodiment of the present inventionin an initial state.

FIG. 2 illustrates a web site of one embodiment of the present inventionafter a user menu selection.

FIG. 3 illustrates a web site of one embodiment of the present inventionafter a show has been selected.

FIG. 4 illustrates a web site of one embodiment of the present inventionafter an episode has been selected.

FIG. 5 illustrates a player of one embodiment of the present inventionin an initial state.

FIG. 6 illustrates a player of one embodiment of the present inventionafter a user menu selection.

FIG. 7 illustrates a player of one embodiment of the present inventionafter a show has been selected.

FIG. 8 illustrates a player of one embodiment of the present inventionafter an episode has been selected.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of the operation ofthe present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of the presentinvention being implemented as computer software in the form of computerreadable code.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating the content invocation flow ofone embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a continuation of the content invocation flow diagram FIG.12.

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram illustrating the confirmation of mediaplayback capability.

FIG. 15 is a flow diagram illustrating site-map hierarchy of oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A method and apparatus for presenting and playing content on a networkis described. In the following description, numerous details are setforth in order to provide a more thorough description of the presentinvention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, thatthe present invention may be practiced without these specific details.In other instances, well known features have not been described indetail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.

The present invention provides a consistent interface and usernavigation system for media clips from all sources. In the followingdescription, an example of organizing and playing viewable content, suchas video content, is described. It is understood that the invention hasequal application to audio media content as well. FIG. 1 illustrates oneembodiment of the interface of the present invention. The inventioncontemplates a drill down approach to certain aspects of navigation withFIG. 1 illustrating the top or home level of navigation. The displayincludes two display areas 101 and 102. Area 101 is referred to as an“editorial” area and can include show titles and logos, navigationtools, and other information. Region 102 is an area reserved forpromotions and can include still or Flash type promotions oradvertisements.

An areas 103 includes links to a number of categories or “channels” thatthe user can select to be presented with viewing choices falling withina particular genre or type. FIG. 1 illustrates a number of channels byway of example, including “Featured Today” 104, News 105, Sports 106,Entertainment 107, and Coming Soon 108. By selecting one of thesecategories, the user is able to access another interface that provideschoices related to the genre. Featured Today 104 is a channel that issuitable for breaking news or even for sponsored clips that may relateto a current film or to a broadcast event of the same or impending day.The selections may represent pre-recorded media or live broadcast media.

The provision of choices of selected shows, news, and sports isindicated in region 117. The show title, logo, or brand is indicated inregions 111 and 112. Below each logo bar is an information region 115and 116, respectively, that provides program information to the user.This information includes the episode title and a brief description ofthe episode. It also includes a thumbnail image of the available show orclip in region 113 and 114.

A region 109 is also provided to the user that lists available content.The content may be sorted in a number of ways. In the example of FIG. 1,the content is listed as Most Popular, which may be based on any of anumber of time periods, including by the day, the week, or even thehour. Also in the example of FIG. 1, the most popular clip listed mayinclude a thumbnail 110 to provide additional information to the user ofthe available clip. The Most Popular listing may be with respect to allcontent, by channel, by category, or by any other suitable or desiredpopulation of media clips.

FIG. 2 illustrates the interface of the invention after the user hasselected a channel. In the example shown, the user has selected theEntertainment 107 channel. This selection presents a slightly changedinterface to the user with a channel indicator 201 displayed at the topof the editorial section 101. In addition, region 117 now only presentsshow selections which correspond to the user's selection.

FIG. 3 illustrates the display of an embodiment of the invention when auser has selected a particular show. When a show is selected, theEditorial area 101 is divided into two areas 301A and 301B. Area 301Adisplays a title, logo, or other indicator of the show selected and atext description of the show. Area 301B displays a thumbnail 302 of theepisodes that are available for the show that is selected for viewing,along with text having a short written description of the selectedepisode. In one embodiment of the invention, a number of other clipsavailable for viewing are displayed below area 301B and use a similargeography to display data, including a thumbnail image and textdescription. The channel selections 104-108 remain visible and availablein region 103, as does the Most Popular list in region 208.

FIG. 4 illustrates the display in an embodiment when the user selects anepisode of a show. When this is selected the editorial section 301Bdisplays a plurality of chapter or clip selections of the selectedepisode such as selections 401, 402, and 403. The user can select one ofthe chapter selections for viewing in region 102 of this embodiment ofthe invention.

A desired feature of one embodiment of the present invention is that auser is only presented with data that the user can actually view at thesubscription level of which the user is a member. This distinguishes theinvention from prior art schemes where the user may be presented withdata that is not viewable based on the subscription level or even basedon the player or connection speed of the user. One of the embodiments ofthe invention that makes this possible is that the data resides in adatabase on the web site of the invention. Unlike prior art schemes thatlink to external data sources, the present invention maintains datalocally.

The present invention is able to customize content presentation becauseof the data structure of the database used for the local data storage.In one embodiment, data is stored using an XML template unique to thepresent invention. This allows metadata to be included which facilitatesthe sorting and presentation of data to the user, making a consistentinterface and experience possible. In one embodiment, XML data is storedlocally but some or all content is stored remotely and linked to a localsite.

The template below is an example of one embodiment of an XML datastoretemplate used in the present invention. The template is for a “FEEDITEM”which is associated with a clip for viewing. XML documents may havemultiple FEEDITEMS. It should be noted that items are not required tohave all elements listed.

<CMSFEED> <CONTACT EMAIL=“” TELEPHONE=“”></CONTACT> <FEEDITEM TYPE=“”MEDIA=“” ID=“” SORTORDER=“”> <TITLE><TITLE><DESCRIPTION></DESCRIPTION> <DURATION></DURATION> <VALIDTIMETZ=“”></VALIDTIME> <EXPIRATIONTIME TZ=“”><EXPIRATIONTIME> <BLACKOUTREGION=“”></BLACKOUT> <STREAM BITRATE=“” FORMAT=“”></STREAM> <AIRTIMETZ=“”></AIRTIME> <IMAGE USE=“”></IMAGE> <FEEDITEM> </CMSFEED>

XML Element Description

The XML elements described here are by way of example only. Additionalor fewer elements may be included without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention.

CMSFEED is the container for XML content feeds to the present inventionand contains a number of other XML elements.

CONTACT xml specs

-   -   The CONTACT element contains the name of the contact at the        content publisher who is responsible for the content feed.        (example: “Joe Smith”)        -   EMAIL: Email address of the person who is publishing this            show. (example: “joesmith@yahoo-inc.com”).        -   TELEPHONE: Telephone number of the person who is publishing            this show. (example: “800-555-1212”).

FEEDITEM xml specs

-   -   The FEEDITEM element holds the data for either a category or a        clip.        -   TYPE: This is the type of node being described. For the            allowed values, “category” is a container for clips.            Depending on the time of media being played in the            invention, this could be equivalent to an episode of a TV            show, or it could be used to represent another type of clips            container.        -   MEDIA: The type of media being described. This is only used            for clips. “Video” refers to a video file. Audio” refers to            an audio-only file.        -   ID: Pathname of the show. (example: “/episode1” or            “/episode3/clip”), Maximum length for this field is 50            characters. Valid values for this field: In one embodiment            the ID only consists of letters and numbers [i.e.,            A-Z|a-z|0-9] and no symbols [i.e., no #, @, etc.] are            allowed in the ID.        -   SORT ORDER: Valid values for this field include any number            from 100 to 10000. In one embodiment of a list of clips or            categories, the item with the highest number is displayed            first, then the item with the second highest number is            displayed next, and so on. The difference in SORTORDER            between each item is in multiples of 10 in this embodiment.            It is understood that the sorting can be in reverse order as            well and any suitable difference between items may be            employed.

TITLE xml specs

-   -   This element is for the title of the piece of media. Referring        briefly to FIG. 2, the title data is displayed in location 201        when it is category information and at location 320 in FIG. 3        when it is a show or clip title. In one embodiment, the maximum        length of this field depends on the TYPE of FEEDITEM being        described:        -   For a “category” piece of media, the title length can be,            e.g., up to 25 characters.        -   For a “clip” piece of media, the title length can be, e.g.,            up to 50 characters.

DESCRIPTION xml specs

-   -   This element is a description of the clip. It is displayed in        the metadata pane and on the web site, such as at location 301A        in FIG. 3. The length of this field depends on the TYPE of        FEEDITEM being described.        -   For a “category” piece of media, the length can be, e.g., up            to 75 characters.        -   For a “clip” piece of media, this field can be, e.g., up to            260 characters.

DURATION xml specs

This is the length of the clip. format: hh:mm:ss.

VALIDTIME xml specs

-   -   This is the date and time that the content will start being        displayed on the invention site and will become available to        subscribers. In some embodiments, this field is not required.        Format: mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM        -   TZ: time zone of publish start and end times. Valid values:            “CST”|“CDT”|“EST”|“EDT”|“MST”|“MDT”|“PST”|“PDT”

EXPIRATIONTIME xml specs

-   -   This is the date and time that the content will be automatically        removed from the invention site, and will no longer be available        to subscribers. This field is not required in all embodiments.        Format: mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM.        -   TZ: time zone of publish start and end times. Valid values:            “CST”|“CDT”|“EST”|“EDT”|“MST”|“MDT”|“PST”|“PDT”

BLACKOUT xml specs

-   -   This makes it possible to “black out” a piece of content from        users whose account information indicates they are in a specific        DMA (Designated Market Area). This could, for example, be used        for sporting events which cannot be rebroadcast in specific        areas. Valid values for this field depend on the REGION setting:        For DMA, an example of a valid value is “SAN FRANCISCO-OAK-SAN        JOSE,” for ZIP (Zip code), an example of a valid value is        “94089.” This element is optional.        -   REGION: Sets system for selecting geographic areas to            blackout. Valid values: “DMA”|“ZIP”.

STREAM xml specs

-   -   The invention can have multiple STREAM elements. However, for        each FEEDITEM, the streams represented by these elements must        have the same content. The only difference is the speed and        media type. In one embodiment, a default value is such that each        FEEDITEM clip has 6 streams (56 k windows media, 100 k windows        media, 300 k windows media, 56 k real, 100 k real, 300 k real).        -   FORMAT: Stream format. Valid            values=“wm”|“asf”|“wmv”|“wma”|“rnv”|“rm”|“rna”|“ra”            -   “wm” or “asf”=windows media file            -   “wmv”=windows media video file            -   “wma”=windows media audio-only file            -   “rnv” or “rm”=real networks video file            -   “rna” or “ra”=real networks audio-only file        -   BITRATE: Stream Speed. Valid values=“56”|“100”|“300”

AIRTIME xml specs

-   -   This element is the date and time that the clip was originally        broadcast (if it was in fact broadcast). Format: mm/dd/yyyy        hh:mm AM/PM        -   TZ: time zone of publish start and end times. Valid values:            “CST”|“CDT”|“EST”|“EDT”|“MST”|“PST”|“PDT”

IMAGE xml specs

-   -   This element is an image for a FEEDITEM. The size for this image        is, for example, 120x90, and is in a format such as GIF, JPEG,        or any other suitable format in one embodiment. The IMAGE can be        displayed in regions 206, 207, 302, 401, 402, or 403, for        example.        -   USE: This describes how the content should be used. Each            piece of media may, for example, have a “largethumb” and            “smallthumb” associated with it—these images should be            images from the piece of media. Valid values:            “SMALLTHUMB”|“LARGETHUMB”            -   SMALLTHUMB: The size for this image may be, e.g., 88x66,                and it may be in JPEG, GIF, or any other suitable                format.            -   LARGETHUMB: The size for this image may be 120x90, and                it may be in JPEG, GW, or any other suitable format.

Content Provider Accounts

A content provider that desires to interact with the site of the presentinvention has an assigned Content Management System (CMS) account withprovider names and passwords. The providers can FTP (file transferprotocol) media files, images and XML feed documents using the templatedescribed above. The transferred media files, with the associatedmetadata according to the XML template, are then provided to a pagegeneration tool and assembled into a window and accompanying channelmodules. This process can be automated so that content can be published(assuming its availability date is current) almost instantly.

The database is accessible by content providers and partners viapassword, allowing remote editing and updating of the content. Forexample, a clip can easily be removed from the site by changing theexpiration time entry to a date that has already passed. Data contentmay also inherit metadata attributes from its category and from itsassociated show. For example, an external site link may be inherited bya clip (such as to an official site for a show). In addition, copyrightinformation may be inherited at a show or category level as well. Clipsare associated with a show and shows are associated with a category.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the present inventionshowing an interface on a media player. A media playing window 501 isprovided at an upper-left location of the player geography. The viewingwindow 501 includes a control bar 509 just below the viewing window withplayer controls, such as play, pause, stop, progress bar, volume, etc.XML metadata associated with content can be mapped to areas of theplayer geography. Region 502 is an informational area reserved for alogo of the content provider. This could be a network, a show, a series,etc. Region 503 is another informational area reserved for a show logographic. Region 504 is reserved for a thumbnail of an available orselected clip. Regions 505 and 506 display the clip title metadata andairdate metadata, respectively. The metadata description text of theclip is displayed in region 507. Region 508 is reserved for additionalavailable clips and displays thumbnails in regions 510, 511, and 512,for example, along with associated title and/or description metadata.

FIG. 6 illustrates the interface of the player after a user has signedin. The bottom portion of the display geography is now changed to addchannel selections 602-607 to region 601. In addition, Region 620 nowdisplays a number of thumbnails of available clips such as thumbnails621-624. This region can be scrolled horizontally in one embodiment topermit the display of additional thumbnails of available clips.

FIG. 7 illustrates the interface of the player when one of the channelsin region 601 is selected. In this example, Entertainment Channel 604has been selected. This causes a pull-down menu 701 to be displayed inthe region adjacent to region 601 and displays available content for theselected channel. The example illustrates one of the advantages of thepresent invention. One of the selections, namely the NCAA Tournament2003, includes a following star symbol 702. This indicates premiumcontent and the user knows that this content is not available unless theuser has a premium account. This is possible because of the localstorage of content by the invention and the use of the XML metadata tostore access levels which are required for certain content. In anotherembodiment, only available permitted content at the user level is shown,with premium or other unavailable content filtered out. This makes theviewing experience more desirable using the present invention. In oneembodiment, the indication is not marked. When a user attempts to playcontent for which the user does not have access, the user may beredirected to a presentation that offers the ability to subscribe to theservice.

The player may be a third-party player which is “skinned” to provide thedesired consistent interface. In other embodiments, the player is apurpose built player.

FIG. 8 illustrates the interface when a show has been selected in region701. The title of the show is displayed in region 801 and thumbnails ofavailable episodes are shown in regions 802-804. In one embodiment,region 801 is scrollable so that all available episodes can be accessedvia that region.

The present invention includes additional information in a localdatabase in addition to the metadata provided by a content provider.This information can also be XML metadata or it can be associatedattributes of the database in any suitable form. This data includessubscription information such as active/inactive, and level ofsubscription (e.g., regular, premium, package, etc.).

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating the operation of the presentinvention in one embodiment. At step 901, a user makes a selection andthe system then goes through a number of decision blocks 902-904 todetermine the appropriate display update to provide. At step 902, it isdetermined if the user has selected a channel. If so, the display isupdated at stop 905 and provides a display such as shown in FIGS. 2 and7.

At step 903, it is determined if the user has selected a show. If so,the display is updated at step 906 and provides a display on the sitesuch as shown in FIG. 3 or on the player such as shown in FIG. 8. Atstep 904, it is determined if the user has selected an episode. If so,the site display is updated such as shown in FIG. 4 and the player isupdated such as is shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 illustrates some of the operation of an embodiment of theinvention when a channel is selected. At step 1001, the user hasselected a channel. At step 1002, the system updates the display byplacing the name of the selected channel in region 201 for the site. Forthe player, the display provides a pull down menu 701. At step 1003, a“Most Popular” display region 208 is provided at the site. For theplayer, the database is examined so that premium shows in the list canbe identified by a marker, such as “star” 702.

In another embodiment of the invention, it is possible to createplaylists related to user preferences. These lists can be eitherautomatically generated based on content provider relationships, oreditorially.

Content Invocation

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate the operation of content invocation in oneembodiment of the invention. At step 1201 of FIG. 12, the user invokes acontent uniform resource locator (URL) by clicking on a clip link fromthe browser, activating a bookmarked URL, or by a variety of othermeans. Once the content URL is invoked, at a logic gate (step 1202), itis determined whether the user's computer is configured to be able toaccept cookies. If it is determined that the user's computer is unableto accept cookies, the browser redirects to a standard error message,which may request that the user configure his computer to acceptcookies.

If it is determined that the user's computer is able to accept cookies,at a logic gate (step 1203) it is determined whether the operatingsoftware (OS) and browser platforms on the user's computer areacceptable. For example, an acceptable OS platform could be Windows andan acceptable browser platform could be Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher.If it is determined that the platforms are not acceptable, the browserpage redirects to a platform error message, which may inform the userthat the platforms running on his computer are not compatible with theweb site's platform(s). Otherwise, if it is determined that theplatforms are acceptable, at a logic gate (step 1204) it is determinedwhether the user chooses to view sample marketing content. If it isdetermined that the user chooses to view sample marketing content, theprocess will proceed to step 1205 where the player will be invoked tooperate at State A, which may be defined to play sample marketingcontent only.

However, if it is determined that the user does not choose to viewsample marketing content, at a logic gate (step 1206) it is determinedwhether the user has signed into the web site. If it is determined thatthe user has not signed in, the browser page redirects to a sign-inerror message, which may tell the user that he must sign into the website to view the content. However, if it is determined that the user hassigned in, at a logic gate (step 1207) it is determined whether the webpage identification (I.D.) is still fresh. If it is determined that theI.D. is not fresh, the browser page redirects to an expiration errormessage, which may advise the user that the session has expired andrequest the user to sign in again.

Otherwise, if the I.D. is determined to be fresh, at a logic gate (step1301, FIG. 13), it is determined whether there is an existing clip thatcorresponds to the requested clip I.D. number. If it is determined thatthe clip I.D. does not have a corresponding existing clip, the browserredirects to a clip error message, which may advise the user that thereis no existing clip that matches his requested clip I.D. number.Otherwise, if it is determined that the requested clip I.D. has a clipavailable, at a logic gate (step 1302) it is determined whether theuser, according to his subscription level, has the ability to accessthis particular clip.

If it is determined that the user does not have access to the clip, at alogic gate (step 1303), it is determined whether the clip's show has avalid I.D. number. If it is determined that the show I.D. number is notvalid, the browser redirects to a show error message, which may advisethe user that there is no existing show that corresponds to hisrequested show I.D. number. However, if it is determined that the showI.D. number is valid, at a logic gate (step 1304), it is determinedwhether the clip's episode has a valid I.D. number.

If it is determined that the episode I.D. number is not valid, thebrowser redirects to an episode error message, which may advise the userthat there is no existing episode that corresponds to his requestedepisode I.D. number. Otherwise, if it is determined that the episodeI.D. number is valid, at a logic gate (step 1306) it is determinedwhether the user, according to his subscription level, has access toview special promotional content. If it is determined that the user doesnot have access to view special promotional content, the browserredirects to a content error message, which may notify the user that theclip is not available because of the user's current subscription leveland advise the user that the clip will be available to him if hesubscribes to a higher subscription level. If it is determined that theuser is able to view the special promotional content, the process willproceed to step 1309 where the player will be invoked to operate atState D. State D may be defined to be a particular content mode.

At the previously discussed logic gate located at step 1302, if it isdetermined that the user does have access to the clip, at a logic gate(step 1305), it is determined whether the user, according to hissubscription level, has access to view special promotional content. Ifit is determined that the user does not have access to view specialpromotional content, the process will proceed to step 1308 where theplayer will be invoked to operate at State C. Otherwise, if it isdetermined that the user does have access to view special promotionalcontent, the process will proceed to step 1307 where the player will beinvoked to operate at State B. States B and C may be defined to bespecific content modes.

After successful content invocation, the embodiment may undergo a logicsequence to confirm media playback capability. One possible logicprocess is depicted in FIG. 14. Once content has been invoked (step1401), at a logic gate (step 1402), it is determined whether the user'scomputer has the necessary clip media player code. This decision is madeby determining if the user's computer has specific software installed,e.g., Real or WinMP. If it is determined that the necessary software hasnot been installed onto the user's computer, the browser redirects to asoftware error message, which may advise the user that he will need toinstall specific software onto his computer in order to view thecontent. Otherwise, if it is determined that the necessary software hasbeen installed onto the user's computer, the process proceeds to step1403 where the audio/video content will be played normally.

Web Page Site Map

An embodiment of the present invention can be represented by a web pagehierarchy site map. FIG. 15 depicts one possible site map hierarchy fora content invocation structure.

FIG. 15 illustrates the path of web pages that a user navigates throughin order to invoke audio/video clip content. Page 1501 represents theweb site home page, which allows the user to make a number of variouschoices. The pages on level 1502 illustrate the different options thatthe user can choose from. Some of the choices presented in thisembodiment are type of genre (page 1503), “coming soon” listings (page1504), “my shows” channel (page 1505), an account summary (page 1506),and a demonstration of web site features tour (page 1507). Page 1508,which is also located on level 1502, is triggered if the user has notsigned in properly or does not have an existing account. If page 1508 istriggered, the browser redirects to a sign-in error message, which willadvise the user that he will need to either attempt to sign in again orsubscribe to the web site in order to view the content.

If the user selects a type of genre in page 1503, the web site willtransfer the user to a lower level on the site map (page 1509). At page1509, the user is presented with a listing of available shows to choosefrom. Once the user selects a show to watch, the web site will transferthe user to a lower level on the site map (page 1510), which lists theavailable episodes for that particular show. After a user selects anepisode from the listing on page 1510, the process will proceed to step1511 where the player will be invoked to operate.

Embodiment of a Computer Execution Environment

An embodiment of the invention can be implemented as computer softwarein the form of computer readable code executed in a desktop generalpurpose computing environment such as environment 1100 illustrated inFIG. 11, or in the form of bytecode class files running in such anenvironment. A keyboard 1110 and mouse 1111 are coupled to abi-directional system bus 1118. The keyboard and mouse are forintroducing user input to a computer 1101 and communicating that userinput to processor 1113.

Computer 1101 may also include a communication interface 1120 coupled tobus 1118. Communication interface 1120 provides a two-way datacommunication coupling via a network link 1121 to a local network 1122.For example, if communication interface 1120 is a modem, communicationinterface 1120 provides a data communication connection to thecorresponding type of telephone line, which comprises part of networklink 1121. If communication interface 1120 is a local area network (LAN)card, communication interface 1120 provides a data communicationconnection via network link 1121 to a compatible LAN. Wireless links arealso possible. In any such implementation, communication interface 1120sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals, whichcarry digital data streams representing various types of information.

Network link 1121 typically provides data communication through one orore networks to other data devices. For example, network link 1121 mayprovide a connection through local network 1122 to local server computer1123 or to data equipment operated by ISP 1124. ISP 1124, in turn,provides data communication services through the worldwide packet datacommunication network now commonly referred to as the “Internet” 1125.Local network 1122 and Internet 1125 both use electrical electromagneticor optical signals, which carry digital data streams. The signalsthrough the various networks and the signals on network link 1121 andthrough communication interface 1120, which carry the digital data toand from computer 1100, are exemplary forms of carrier wavestransporting the information.

Processor 1113 may reside wholly on client computer 1101 or wholly onserver 1026 or processor 1113 may have its computational powerdistributed between computer 1001 and server 1126. In the case whereprocessor 1113 resides wholly on server 1126, the results of thecomputations performed by processor 1113 are transmitted to computer1101 via Internet 1125, Internet Service Provider (ISP) 1124, localnetwork 1122 and communication interface 1120. In this way, computer1101 is able to display the results of the computation to a user in theform of output. Other suitable input devices may be used in addition to,or in place of, the mouse 1111 and keyboard 1110. I/O (input/output)unit 1119 coupled to bi-directional system bus 1118 represents such I/Oelements as a printer, A/V (audio/video) I/O, etc.

Computer 1101 includes a video memory 1114, main memory 1115 and massstorage 1112, all coupled to bi-directional system bus 1118 along withkeyboard 1110, mouse 1111 and processor 1113.

As with processor 1113, in various computing environments, main memory1115 and mass storage 1112, can reside wholly on server 1126 or computer1101, or they may be distributed between the two. Examples of systemswhere processor 1113, main memory 1115, and mass storage 1112 aredistributed between computer 1101 and server 1126 include thethin-client computing architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc.,the palm pilot computing device, Internet ready cellular phones, andother Internet computing devices.

The mass storage 1112 may include both fixed and removable media, suchas magnetic, optical or magnetic optical storage systems or any otheravailable mass storage technology. Bus 1118 may contain, for example, 32address lines for addressing video memory 1114 or main memory 1115. Thesystem bus 1118 also includes, for example, a 32-bit data bus fortransferring data between and among the components, such as processor1113, main memory 1115, video memory 1114, and mass storage 1112.Alternatively, multiplex data/address lines may be used instead ofseparate data and address lines.

In one embodiment of the invention, the processor 1113 is amicroprocessor manufactured by Motorola, such as the 680x0 processor ora microprocessor manufactured by Intel, such as the 80x86 or Pentiumprocessor, or a SPARC microprocessor from Sun Microsystems, Inc.However, any other suitable microprocessor or microcomputer may beutilized. Main memory 1115 is comprised of dynamic random access memory(DRAM). Video memory 1114 is a dual-ported video random access memory.One port of the video memory 1114 is coupled to video amplifier 1116.The video amplifier 1116 is used to drive the cathode ray tube (CRT)raster monitor 1117. Video amplifier 1116 is well known in the art andmay be implemented by any suitable apparatus. This circuitry convertspixel data stored in video memory 1114 to a raster signal suitable foruse by monitor 1117. Monitor 1117 is a type of monitor suitable fordisplaying graphic images.

Computer 1101 can send messages and receive data, including programcode, through the network(s), network link 1121 and communicationinterface 1120. In the Internet example, remote server computer 1126might transmit a requested code for an application program throughInternet 1125, ISP 1124, local network 1122 and communication interface1120. The received code may be executed by processor 1113 as it isreceived, and/or stored in mass storage 1112, or other non-volatilestorage for later execution. In this manner, computer 1100 may obtainapplication code in the form of a carrier wave. Alternatively, remoteserver computer 1126 may execute applications using processor 1113, andutilize mass storage 1112, and/or video memory 1115. The results of theexecution at server 1126 are then transmitted through Internet 1125, ISP1124, local network 1122, and communication interface 1120. In thisexample, computer 1101 performs only input and output functions.

Application code may be embodied in any form of computer programproduct. A computer program product comprises a medium configured tostore or transport computer readable code, or in which computer readablecode may be embedded. Some examples of computer program products areCD-ROM disks, ROM cards, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, computer harddrives, servers on a network, and carrier waves.

The computer systems described above are for purposes of example only.An embodiment of the invention may be implemented in any type ofcomputer system or programming or processing environment.

Thus an environment for display of content has been described.

1-5. (canceled)
 6. A method comprising: associating metadata attributesfrom within a defined set of metadata attributes with a plurality ofmedia files; and utilizing said metadata attributes to map saidplurality of media files to an interface such that the metadataattributes appear in the same location for each of the plurality ofmedia files.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said metadata attributesare stored in a local database.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein one ofsaid plurality of content files is stored remotely.
 9. The method ofclaim 8 wherein said plurality of media files is provided by more thanone source.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said metadata attributescomprises a title for the media file.
 11. The method of claim 6 whereinsaid metadata attributes comprises a description for the media file. 12.The method of claim 6 wherein said metadata attributes comprises aduration for the media file.
 13. The method of claim 6 wherein saidmetadata attributes comprises an expiration data for the media file. 14.A method comprising: defining a set of metadata attribute types relatingto a plurality of media files, each of said metadata attribute types inthe set having a respective predetermined location in an said interface,said respective predetermined location for a given metadata attributetype being a same location in said interface regardless of media file ornetwork source; compiling said plurality of media files from a pluralityof network sources media file providers, said plurality of media fileshaving associated metadata attribute types from the set of metadataattribute types for use with said interface, each media file of saidplurality of media files having at least one metadata attribute type incommon with another media file of said plurality of said media files;and mapping the at least one metadata attribute type in common to itsrespective predetermined location in a user interface so that as video,audio or both video and audio from any of each media file of saidplurality of media files is experienced via said user interface said atleast one metadata attribute type in common is displayed at itsrespective predetermined same location in said user interface regardlessof the network source of said media file or media file provider; andcommunicating said user interface to a user computer.
 15. The method ofclaim 14, wherein said interface comprises: a channel descriptionportion comprising one or more channel selections to access theplurality of media files provided by the plurality of media fileproviders; a show description portion to display one or more showselections, and in response to a chosen one of the one or more channelselections said show description portion displays one or more showselections corresponding to the chosen channel selection; and an episodedescription portion to display one or more episode selections, and inresponse to a chosen one of the one or more show selections said episodedescription portion displays one or more episode selectionscorresponding to the chosen show selection.
 16. The method of claim 15wherein said interface is provided by an Internet provider and comprisesone or more web pages to present media content corresponding to any ofsaid plurality of media files such that said interface provides aconsistent user experience with respect to the media content provided bysaid plurality of media files regardless of the plurality of networksources identified.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the web page isconstructed using a mark-up language.
 18. The method of claim 16 whereinthe media content comprises streaming media.
 19. The method of claim 16wherein the streaming media comprises a live broadcast.
 20. The methodof claim 16 wherein the streaming media comprises a pre-recordedbroadcast.
 21. The method of claim 14 wherein said metadata attributetype comprises a title for the media file.
 22. The method of claim 14wherein said metadata attribute type comprises a duration for the mediafile.
 23. The method of claim 14 wherein said metadata attribute typecomprises a description for the media file.
 24. The method of claim 14wherein said metadata attribute type comprises a thumbnail image for themedia file.
 25. The method of claim 16 wherein the web page isconstructed using a mark-up language.